noffsinger Chapter 915 Changing the Time
Chapter 915 Changing the Time
After all this commotion, Bai Wu realized how troublesome Yun Congsheng was, so he dared not follow too far.
He had no choice but to disguise himself and follow them into the store.
He chose the middle spot, which was obvious, but there happened to be a pillar there that could block half of his body, and he was wearing a straw hat that could cover his face, so it was about right.
Bai Wu ordered a pot of wine and two dishes.
Yun Congsheng finished his noodles casually, focusing intently on the meal without looking around, as if he had really gone to all this trouble just to eat noodles.
He put down his chopsticks, reached into his pocket and began to fumble for coins. He placed ten coins on the table and got up to leave.
"boom!"
A small stone bounced off the table without leaving a trace.
Yun Congsheng picked it up and saw that it was wrapped with a piece of paper.
"Someone is following me. Let's reschedule for another day."
Looking at the words above, Yun Congsheng remained expressionless and did not look around to find the person who was following him.
Instead, he slowly threw the stone away and left the shop.
Bai Wu, hiding in the shadows, had already sensed something was wrong.
Could it be that Yun Congsheng went through all this trouble just for that note? And what did it say?
He could only follow the people, and after another round of fuss, he changed back into his original clothes, returned to the pastry shop, picked up the pastries, got into the carriage, and went back to his residence.
Bai Wu frowned.
Whose note was that that required such careful communication?
Inside the carriage, Yun Congsheng was also lost in thought.
I wonder if the person in the shadows is watching him or the person passing the note?
The people who know his secrets seem very cautious; perhaps they also have enemies and are unwilling to show themselves.
This is a good thing.
Yun Congsheng returned to his residence without any change in expression. After getting off the carriage, he went to spend time with his wife and children as usual.
Bai Wu couldn't see anything amiss, so he left someone to keep watch while he returned to the general's mansion to report back.
"Could that note have been written by one of Chen's men?" Qian Fengping boldly speculated.
It's possible.
But why would Chen's followers want to associate with Yun Congsheng? Yun Congsheng has absolutely no connection with Chen Zijun or the Chen family.
Fang Nanzhi thought for a moment and asked, "Uncle Bai Wu, you haven't been discovered, have you?"
Bai Wu hesitated: "Lord Yun is very cautious and perceptive. I may not be able to completely hide it."
If you were to follow an ordinary person, there would certainly be no risk of being discovered.
But he felt that Lord Yun was truly extraordinary.
"In that case, why not stir things up and alert them?" Qin Yan suggested.
His family all looked at him.
“Sometimes, you can get a lot of information by observing people’s subconscious reactions,” Qin Yan explained.
Fang Nanzhi understood.
"Then I'll go for a follow-up appointment tomorrow, and I'll bring that person with me."
These were the Chen family retainers brought back from the Yun family. They were unaware that their identities had been exposed and were still gritting their teeth and enduring it.
"Let me go with you," Fang Tong said.
"No need, Father. Didn't you say the shop's business has been exceptionally good lately, and you need to keep an eye on it?"
The shop Fang Nanzhi mentioned was the one jointly run by the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Agriculture, which sold all kinds of woolen clothes.
As the weather gets colder, cotton is in short supply.
Cotton was still expensive, and then news spread that wool sweaters were just as warm, and bright red scarves were leading the fashion trend. How could the shops not do well?
Fang Tong thought about it and decided not to insist.
The family was getting impatient with the lack of progress, but they couldn't keep worrying about it.
As the family sat around the stove drinking tea and eating roasted chestnuts, Fang Tong remembered another thing he had heard.
"I heard that Qingmin and Prince Ning have already left the capital. This imperial edict seems to be for a major investigation into the Jin family's ancestral home."
"The two recommended by the Crown Prince will go."
Fang Tong's official rank was too low to attend court, so he was often late in receiving news.
If he hadn't just scolded Jin Ke a while ago, no one would have deliberately come to him to bring this up.
The one who brought this up was none other than Lord Hao.
At the last wedding banquet, Fang Yin patted him on the shoulder, which frightened Lord Hao so much that he became particularly obedient and even started to fawn over Fang Tong.
That's right, those officials are just that flexible and adaptable.
They can make things difficult for others, but they can also bend down and humble themselves.
At this point, Lord Hao stopped thinking about the reasons why Fang Tong became an official. Yes, Fang Tong didn't know many characters and couldn't even read all the Four Books and Five Classics, so it seemed unfair to him, who had studied hard for more than ten years.
But they're lucky, so there's no point in being jealous.
Fortunately, he always manages to achieve great things, and his superiors appreciate him highly.
Fortunately, he had a good older brother, his own flesh and blood, who was incredibly strong, brave, and resourceful, and was able to become a great general.
He was lucky to have a powerful backer—the Crown Prince.
Yes, the Crown Prince is the root cause. His Highness the Crown Prince personally attended the wedding banquet and drank the wedding wine. What does that mean?
This shows that he truly values the Fang family.
The Crown Prince was at the height of his power, and his position in the Eastern Palace was secure.
If he continues to cause trouble and harbors any ulterior motives, wouldn't that offend the Crown Prince?
To curry favor with Fang Tong is to curry favor with the Crown Prince.
Lord Hao truly understood, and there was a reason why he mentioned Prince Ning to Fang Tong.
Why is the Crown Prince making such a big move, sending an imperial envoy to investigate smuggled salt? Isn't it all for revenge against the Jin family?
Jin Ke never imagined that just one sentence he uttered in front of the emperor, not even a harsh one, would cause the mad dog that was the crown prince to bite him relentlessly.
He went to the Eastern Palace repeatedly, but he couldn't get in or see the Crown Prince.
I knew then that pleading was useless.
Someone from the Jin family then found Lord Hao and asked him to pass on a message.
What I'm saying is that I hope Lord Hao can reconcile with Fang Tong.
Now that the two sides have reconciled, has the Crown Prince's anger subsided?
It's not that the Jin family is afraid of the Crown Prince; it's just that when the imperial envoy goes to work, it's in their territory, and they might not be able to find anything.
But what if the Crown Prince is determined to investigate thoroughly and then mobilize troops or something?
The Jin family really couldn't withstand it.
Offending Fang Nanzhi and sacrificing such great interests for the clan is really not worth it.
A higher-ranking official can have absolute power, and Lord Hao dared not refuse, so he agreed to do it.
But he was genuinely trying to please Fang Tong, so he told him the whole story.
Whether or not to reconcile with the Jin family, and whether or not to give them face, is entirely up to Fang Tong to decide.
He even gave Fang Tong the hundred taels of silver that Jin sent him.
Fang Tong almost accepted the ten silver ingots, but he couldn't resist the temptation; he lacked the willpower to resist money.
He refused to settle, no, that's what Fang Tong said.
"Lord Hao, are you mistaken? What grudge could there be between our two families?"
"The last time I acted presumptuously, it was only because I was asking a question on behalf of the Crown Prince."
"Young Master Jin even came to our door in person to explain once, and there really is nothing between the two families."
Since there's nothing wrong with it, there's no question of forgiveness or not.
Lord Hao wasn't stupid; he could tell from his attitude that he didn't want to get involved.
In fact, it is understandable.
Think about it, the Crown Prince is very protective of his own, and he's racking his brains to get revenge for your daughter.
If you secretly reconcile with your enemy, wouldn't that be a slap in the face to the Crown Prince?
It's not that stupid to drag yourself down.
Lord Hao took the hundred taels of silver and replied to Madam Jin exactly as stated.
After listening to her father's words, Fang Nanzhi said with great admiration, "Father, you are a true man of integrity, fearless of power and regarding money as dirt."
"Dad, I'm so proud of you. It's my blessing to have a dad like you."
"Father, you did the right thing. Our family shouldn't have gotten involved. Who knows if the Crown Prince's investigation of smuggled salt was really because he disliked the salt smugglers?"
Fang Nanzhi's flattery was incredibly emotionally valuable.
Fang Tong listened and no longer regretted losing the hundred taels.
"Actually, Father was unwilling to get involved because he wanted the Crown Prince to find out something and make the Jin family even more unlucky."
Yeah, he wasn't satisfied with the last time he cursed at someone.
He came from a gangster background; he used to fight anyone he didn't like.
That old bastard Jin Ke is so outrageous, he can't even fight him, it's really frustrating.
But if you take action, things get much worse; it becomes assaulting a high-ranking official, and you're likely to be seen as being in the wrong.
“If the smuggled salt issue is really related to the Jin family, then they deserve to be in trouble,” Qian Fengping added.
Salt, how important it is, the imperial court has always kept it firmly under its control.
One of the crimes that led to Chen Zijun's beheading was selling smuggled salt.
The family was chatting when it started snowing again outside. Although it was just a light snowfall, the wind was strong enough to cut like knives.
Prince Ning and Qing Min's group, once again enduring wind and rain, missed the post station that night, and with no villages nearby, they had no choice but to sleep in the wilderness.
The fire was burning brightly, but you could only feel its warmth if you got very close.
Qing Min was wearing a wool cloak—yes, it was made of wool; the imperial court had given them to all the officials in the capital this year.
In the past, cloaks made of fox fur were reserved for generals who had rendered meritorious service.
Ordinary officials don't have them; fox fur is expensive.
This year, the whole wool is cheap, and even officials of the highest rank have it.
Some officials complained that the wool smelled fishy and didn't look luxurious enough, making it seem somewhat unpresentable.
But some officials are pragmatic; they genuinely find the clothes quite warm and they don't look bad, so they just wear them.
Qingmin belongs to the latter category.
He took out his water pouch, took a big gulp, and found it icy cold. He lost all interest in drinking any more.
I glanced at the steamed buns roasting over the fire; they were almost done.
Send someone to invite Prince Ning.
The guard left in a hurry and returned quickly.
"Your Excellency, the Prince says he will not get out of the carriage for his meal."
Well, they didn't even give an excuse for why.
What a joke! Does a prince like him need to explain himself to someone of the same generation as his nephew?
Qingmin didn't mind and ate by himself, munching on a steamed bun while wondering who the Prince of Ning had met today.
They didn't reach the post station today; it's all Prince Ning's fault for delaying.
After lunch, it's time to set off.
But Prince Ning insisted that he was unwell due to the change in environment and needed to rest. His men discovered that Prince Ning had quietly left the inn and gone to a teahouse.
I saw a person whose entire body was covered up so that I couldn't see their face.
His men couldn't get too close, or they wouldn't be able to hear what they were saying.
Anyway, the two talked for a long time.
When Prince Ning returned, he said he was feeling better and couldn't delay important matters, so he had to continue his journey.
They also said the road was long and the road ahead might not be safe, so they sent someone ahead to scout the way.
Qingmin wanted to send someone along, but Prince Ning politely declined.
He knew that the so-called scouts were probably the same people who had met with Prince Ning.
Qingmin wasn't in a hurry. Before he came, His Highness had said that he was giving Prince Ning an opportunity to make some underhanded moves.
Give them time to make a fuss, so you can find a handle to use against them, right?
Another important task was to keep an eye on Prince Ning and prevent him from easily returning to the capital.
Perhaps His Highness intends to take this opportunity to do something to the Prince's residence.
After eating the steamed buns, Qingmin felt a bit warmer and asked someone to boil water.
Sigh, traveling at this time of year is really difficult.
Sleeping in the car at night means worrying about whether the horses will freeze.
In his opinion, since it was already late, they might as well travel through the night. With the moon shining on the snowy day and the endless white expanse, they wouldn't be completely unable to see the road.
But Prince Ning said, "I'm getting old and my health isn't good; I need to take it easy."
Although Qing Min was the chief envoy, he was not involved in the case yet, so he still had to give Prince Ning some face.
In the Third Princess's residence, the Third Princess was half-reclining in the warm pavilion, her clothes slipping down to reveal half of her snow-white shoulder, but she didn't seem to care.
I held a cup of warm wine and slowly savored it.
Opposite him was a handsome man in a white robe, kneeling and playing the zither.
The man had long, slender fingers and was an excellent pianist.
He is the Third Princess's most favored male consort recently.
Without her husband, the Third Princess was always lonely in the mansion. Seeing her dejected state, the servants began to send her all sorts of beauties.
The third princess accepted it, but there was always an emptiness in her heart.
No matter how handsome these men were, in her heart, none of them could compare to the prince consort.
She thought of how the prince consort had also played the zither, but it was with her, their fingers intertwined, her embrace held close...
The third princess was annoyed and smashed her wine glass with a "bang," losing all interest in listening to the music.
The music stopped abruptly, and the man immediately knelt down to beg for forgiveness.
"Princess, please forgive me. It was my fault for not serving you properly."
The man admitted his mistake, but he didn't completely lower his head. He just lowered his eyes, revealing his delicate chin, giving him a kind of aggrieved and pitiful beauty.
The third princess glanced at him, but her anger couldn't be directed at him anymore. She simply waved her hand, telling him to leave.
The man secretly breathed a sigh of relief and left respectfully.
The Third Princess was alone in the warm pavilion, and her mood became gloomy again.
She had so many ambitious plans, all of which failed, and she even lost her husband's life. Was it worth it?
"boom!"
She went to bed barefoot and kicked over the guqin.
A surge of resentment welled up inside me.
Upon hearing the commotion, the maidservant rushed over and hurriedly knelt down: "If the princess is upset, she should go to the torture chamber. She must not harm her health."
The torture chamber was set up privately by the princess's residence. As the name suggests, it was used to imprison certain people whom the third princess disliked.
In the past, when the Third Princess was in a bad mood, she would go to the torture chamber to vent her frustrations.
However, as time went on, the Third Princess lost interest in tormenting those same people.
The Third Princess looked at the kneeling maid and suddenly asked, "Where is Fang Jin?"
"Take him to the torture chamber."
When Fang Jingang recognized his master, in order to test his loyalty, he was thrown into a torture chamber for half a month.
Later, he performed well and was able to leave and become a staff member.
"Yes, Princess, I'll have Hongxiu come and apply some ointment to your feet," the maid replied.
Let them mess with Fang Jin if they want; it's only right for advisors to share the burdens of their lord.
Besides, Fang Jin's reputation is completely ruined, so what use is he now?
The third princess did not refuse and turned back to the small couch.
Hearing the commotion, Hongxiu hurried in to serve her master.
The medicine was only half-served when the maid Hongying rushed in: "Princess, Mr. Fang is not in the manor."
"Oh? Where did he go?" The Third Princess frowned.
She hasn't given Fang Jin any tasks lately; he goes to social events on his own, and she doesn't interfere.
“This servant was unaware that the servant who usually accompanies Mr. Fang has also gone out.”